Customer Reviews

Wounded Land

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

THE WOUNDED LAND is a rich, and somewhat difficult book. It was certainly wonderful to return to the Land, but the book is by far the bleakest of the entire two trilogies. Donaldson clearly had to up the ante to make the book worth reading (and writing), so the despair that has befallen the Land is pretty dire.

Also, even though we get to revisit Covenant, we are 4000 years in the future of the land, and all the beloved characters we came to know in the first trilogy are gone. Donaldson does manage a brief, ghostly appearance by some of them, but they are missed. After all, Covenant is aptly named an ANIT-hero, and he is tough to like. So Donaldson, while also showing us how horrible things have become in the Land, has to also give us new characters to care about.

This time, Covenant brings someone with him from our time, the doctor Linden Avery. But she carries lots of baggage herself, and is also tough to warm up to...although she brings out a soft side in Covenant which is sorely needed. The author does a good job of introducing new characters to join on the new quest to save the Land from Lord Foul's machinations. Sunder and Hollian, two villagers who have learned all the history of the Land incorrectly, have their eyes opened to the truth by Covenant, and their plight of realization and acceptance is quite emotional. The character of Vain, a creature developed by the ur-viles to help Covenant, is fascinating and holds many secrets. I won't tell you too many more, because the book holds some delights in store.

But it isn't easy. The first half of the book feels a bit repititive, as Covenant and his growing band struggle to cross the Land to Revelstone (echoes of the first book), and we kinda get the point early on that it isn't easy going. But things really pick up once Covenant goes to Andelain and then on to Revelstone. There are some exciting chase scenes, one in particular dealing with The Grim, a malevolent "happening" sent to destroy the group from the false lords of Revelstone.

Donaldson has become an even more florid writer. His vocabulary is formidable...mine ain't too bad, but there is at least one word per page that leaves me scratching my head as to its definition, and I swear he's just made up a few. You can tell what they mean by the context, but they are distracting. He doesn't believe in subtle feelings...these characters are going through earth-shattering events, and they don't feel things mildly. They are torn, "riven", etc. etc. I still love the books, but sometimes it is a bit much.

If you've read the first trilogy and liked it or loved it...then you MUST read further. If you haven't read the first trilogy, don't start here. Go back to Lord Foul's Bane. And if, by some chance, you didn't care for the first trilogy, I don't think anything here will change your mind. You either love the Land and Donaldson's way of taking you there...or you don't and won't.

The Wounded Land is the first book in the Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. In the first excellent trilogy, Covenant ultimately triumphed over the evil Lord Foul and brought centuries of peace and prosperity to the Land. Unfortunately, Foul was not destroyed, only forced to retreat and lick his wounds for a while. But surprisingly, Foul finds a way to strike at Covenant in his own world. This leads to Covenant returning to the Land, accompanied by a rather bitter and serious woman named Linden. Sort of a female version of Covenant I guess, but unlike Covenant her strength stems from a couple tragic childhood events that hardened her to emotion.

Covenant returns to the Land (where about four thousand years have passed) to find it shockingly wasted, as if the Apocalypse itself had hit it. The change was caused by the Sunbane, a sinister creation of Foul's. Covenant spends half the book just trying to figure out what the heck went wrong and how he can turn things around. Fortunately he finds that he can unleash the wild magic at will, or at least whenever he's upset (sort of like Nynaeve's channeling block in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series).

Each book of the first trilogy had a major resolution at the end. The Wounded Land is difficult to evaluate on its own because there is no real resolution or even climax. About two thirds of the way through the book, Covenant's party embarks on a major quest that clearly will not be completed by the end of the novel. The ending isn't really climactic, but merely segues nicely into the sequel The One Tree.

Donaldson's pace is generally slower in this trilogy than in the first one, but that's not to say that The Wounded Land doesn't contain plenty of action. Covenant barely escapes death a few times. The times when he uses the wild magic are exciting moments, and Donaldson is skillful at quickly heightening dramatic tension. Covenant's stay at Revelstone and his discoveries there are a high point in the novel. The page-turning trek through the treacherous Sarangrave Flats recalls the similar quest of the Bloodguard in The Illearth War.

I haven't read the two sequels yet, but this second trilogy is looking great so far! Highly recommended for fans of simple fantasy with a dark flavor to it.

I have enjoyed his other works, but this is one of the most miserable books I have ever attempted to read. It just plods along without ever being interesting. I tried reading it three times over five years and I never got more than half-way through it before shoving it under my bed. Needless to say, it was the last in this series I attempted to read.

D. shows how inventive he truly is. something truly bad has happened to the land. something called the sunbane is destroying the land. this time there is real trouble finding allies in a land of suspicion and aggression. the people of the Land themselves are no longer allies, but mostly hostile. the second chronicles are very different from the first. the Land is descriped differently, the concept and the environment very different. D. goes more into describing battles on a man-to-man basis, and shows that he masters that very well.

Thomas Covenant is again summoned to the Land in "The Wounded Land", the first book in the 2nd Chronicles. This time is different though, not only is his return to the Land rought with difficulty and suprises, but someone else has been summoned with him. Linden Avrey, a doctor, is brought into the strange land with Covenant. Together, they face a land that is nowhere close to what it used to be.

Covenant is shocked by what he sees. It has been 10 years since he had been to the Land. But time in the Land passes quicker, and by that time, it has been 3 1/2 thousand years.

Lord Foul has been at work. He was hurt in the last series, but he was not defeated. He is back and his touch is felt almost everywhere. Earthpower is seriously lacking. Covenant can't believe what he sees.

But, with the help of Linden and a few other friends. He begins a trek to destroy Foul once and for all. The first book relays his suprise with the Land and his thoughts on how to fix it.

Donaldson does it again. A great peice of Fantasy.

When this second chronicles was published, it was an incredibly exciting day, especially as the first three were devoured, and in particular, the Chronicles started to catch on with the public. In this next saga, Covenant is brought back to the Land after a 4,000 year hiatus, only to find despair, dismay, and destruction, with nothing but the White Gold (his wedding ring), the only power which can save. But again, he is a desperate unbeliever who doesn't inspire anything but anger because of his continuance of a leprous mind which is negative. This is an engrossing read. Tread lightly and with your mind. Highly recommended!!

I read the first series and was blown away. The story is built on an immense scale. There are so many characters, so much background, so many journeys that you feel like you are there and care for the Land. This series isn't for everyone. If you aren't looking for a book to stimulate you intellectually with big words then go read The Dark Elf Trilogy.

I have to comment on one reviewer who said she didn't like the story because of its simplistic names (i.e. Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, and Lord Fould the Despiser). It is obvious she didn't read the whole story (even beyond her admission of not getting past the first 50 pages). Had she read further she would have realized that those names are integral to the entire series. Those names are symbolic. Unbeliever represents the conflict within Thomas Covenant. Any other name would make his struggles/conflict meaningless.

Stephen Donaldson was brought impressive power to the page in his first chrinicles of Thomas Covenant. He surpasses himself with the second chronicles, maturing the story and characters allowing the reader to feel as infected as the land he describes. In the second Chronicles Thomas Covenant returns to the land in a dramatic blaze of fire summoned by his old enemy Lord Foul. He finds the land has changed int he time he has been away. The beutiful and healing land Donaldson created in the first set of books has been replaced with a warped and diseased place ruled by the Sun Bane nad controlled by the Clave. Both these are the work of Lord Foul who has corrupted everything that made the land a place to love and cherish. If you have ever wanted to know what it would be like if the bad guy won here is your chance to find out. This is the first of three books in the second chrinicles all of which are superbly written and gripping pieces of literature.

Recommendations, The Price of Immortality was a very enjoyable read that kept me guessing through out.

This is one of only two books that I've ever really tried to read, and found myself unable to complete. The other was "The Talisman" by Stephen King.

I think the most difficult thing for me to swallow were the names. "Thomas Covenant the UNBELIEVER," for one. But I almost threw it out the car window when I read about "Lord Foul the DESPISER." I am sorry, but my youngest cousin (five) would be able to come up with more creative names. I resisted the temptation, however, when I remembered that it belongs to my library.

When I have more time, and more patience, I may try to read this again. But now I will go back to reading a series that is definitely worth while, "The Wheel of Time" by Robert Jordan

You spent the entire first trilogy wondering when Thomas Covenant would "get over it" and stop whining! Finally, in the last few pages he sucks it up and uses his wild magic to glorious effect!

In this book Covenant is less wary about using the white magic, or maybe he's forced to use it. Anyway, he's finally learned how to invoke it and becomes more than just a passive character.

I think this series will be more satisfying than the last, during which I spent the entire time wondering when Covenant would do something.